Switching off

I’m reasonably tech-savvy for a non-geek. When I used to teach high school music and drama, I was the person that everyone in the faculty came to for IT help. When the school started using software called “My Classes” over the school’s intranet in 2004, I was one of the early adopters and ended up being so proficient at utilising it creatively to enhance my students’ learning experiences that not only was I asked to train up my colleagues at the school, I gave a Professional Development workshop to teachers at a system-wide PD day. So I’m not a geek, but I’m definitely not clueless either.

For the last few days, I have felt my frustration rising to what is now a dangerous level. I have been increasingly moody, irritable and short tempered. I haven’t been sleeping well. I’m behind with my freelance work. I’ve had four days without piano practice (something I’m supposed to do every day) and I have neglected Yoga just as much. I have been consumed with this phone and this project. And the thing is, because I know that I’m capable, intelligent and reasonably tech-savvy, the fact that a gadget has beaten me has left me feeling inadequate as a person.

So today after yet more things going wrong and wasting my time, I turned the Desire off.

I may or may not turn it back on before the end of the review.

I may come back here and write up the other blog posts I’d planned, but I may not.

At the crux of it, my health and sanity are more important than a phone or a review process and I’m not feeling terribly healthy right now.

7 comments

After reading your posts from last night I sent you a tweet, email and this avro left you a voice mail.

No one should be this frustrated at learning how to use a phone. I think it’s a great idea to take some time off and get back to basics.

If/when you feel up for it, we can easily arrange for you to meet one-on-one over the phone with a Telstra Mobile Mentor. I’m confident they will be able to help you better understand the device.

A number of the other Social Reviewers have booked sessions and have told me they found it very useful. The number is 1300783343 and is available to all Telstra Android users.

If you call, please let them know you are a Social Reviewer.

I think the problem with the Social Review is that you were sent the device. You didn’t have the benefit of going into a Telstra shop and having one of the trained staff show you how to set up the device and do what’s important to you (file share via Bluetooth).

When I read your post from last night I sent you an email and a tweet this morning. When I read your comments on Telstra Exchange this avro I left you a voicemail.

No one should feel this way when learning how to work a new smartphone. I totally understand your need to take a break and get back to the basics.

As I mentioned in a previous group email and in the email to you this morning, we have a Telstra Mobile Mentor service that I’m confident will help you better understand the device.

This one hour session with a mentor is available to all Telstra Android users. The number to make a booking is 1300783343. If you call, let them know you are a Social Reviewer. Otherwise call/email me and I’ll make the booking for you.

I think another issue is that you received the handset via priority post versus receiving the handset from a Telstra store.

When purchasing a device in a Telstra store, a trained staff member can help set-up your smartphone and help you understand how to file share via bluetooth etc.

The program ends on Friday. If you no longer wish to participate I understand. At the very least I hope you take me up on my offer to do the one hour Mobile Mentor session. Let me know what you want to do at your convenience.

I’ve been trying to read as many of the social reviewer’s blogs as possible, and I’ve watched with a bit of concern over the last day or so as you’ve had some issues with the Desire.

First and foremost, I want to echo what Mike says, and go one step further. Not only should no one feel like this in trying to learn how to use a phone, but no one should participate in any form of program/study/experiment/whatever you call it if it causes you harm by participating. It might be my inner psychologist talking, but if its causing you this level of stress, then you’ve absolutely done the right thing by putting the phone away for a few days to ‘take a breath’.

Get back to the things that matter for a couple of days and see how you feel then. I hope things pick up quickly and you feel better 🙂